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Wednesday, April 15, 2015

Distinctive Danish Films

Posted by Jacob D.

The Edwardsville Public Library has hundreds of foreign
films on DVD in dozens of languages. You might be familiar with French films
like Amelie or Spanish-language films like Pan’s Labyrinth, but have you heard
of these Danish gems?

Babette’s Feast(1987)Two devout sisters who live a monastic lifestyle take in Babette, a refuge from
France’s civil war. For years, she cleans and cooks traditional Danish meals
for the sisters. When she wins a lottery, Babette decides to prepare a gourmet
French meal. What follows is a look at the transcendent power of food in this
magical little film. It won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Film in 1987.

After the Wedding
(2006)A powerful family drama starring Mads Mikkelsen, who is now famous for his roles
as a Bond villain and TV’s Hannibal. Mikkelsen plays Jacob, a native of Denmark
who runs an orphanage in Mumbai. In some Dickensian twist of fate, a very rich
man offers to donate millions to the orphanage if Jacob returns to Denmark for
a wedding, and of course, things get complicated. The film was nominated for
Best Foreign Film in 2006.

Another film starring Mads Mikkelsen. Here, he is a man falsely accused of
abusing a child in his care. The film makes it clear that he is innocent, but
this is a story of a man who is seen as guilty in the public opinion of a
small, close-knit town and must continue to live in this hostile community.
This is a film driven by performances, and Mikkelsen’s performance earned him
the Best Actor Award at Cannes Film Festival in 2012.